


how many of our parents seem to make it anyway?

by an_idle_teen



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Divorce, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-13
Updated: 2013-04-13
Packaged: 2017-12-07 21:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/753455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_idle_teen/pseuds/an_idle_teen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis is having a tough time dealing with his parent's divorce, and his best mate Harry stays with him through it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	how many of our parents seem to make it anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Ships In The Night, Mat Kearney.
> 
> Enjoy! x

“I can’t fucking believe you. I can't fucking believe you!” Louis shouts at his mother and father, who ironically seem to be taking a united front to tell him about their divorce. It doesn’t make any fucking sense.

He knew it was going to happen eventually, because they had been fighting more often than not, and they seemed to be physically unable to speak civilly with each other. But, still. 

He hadn’t been expecting it to happen so fucking soon - not at all. Not during his last year of High School. Isn’t this supposed to be the best year of his life or some shit? It doesn’t seem to be starting out all that great.

He's still seething, his tiny chest heaving up and down as he tries (and fails) to calm himself down. “Just... fuck you, both of you!”

“You will watch your language when speaking with your mother, son. Calm down,” His father scolds him, crossing his arms and leering down at him like he used to do when Louis was still only a little boy.

Louis just laughs (albeit a bit hysterically), he laughs because his stupid arse father actually seems to fucking think that he can tell him what to do. Well, he can't.

Not anymore.

"No, you don't get to boss me around anymore, you twat!" His voice is hoarse from the screaming, his eyes stinging like he's maybe going to cry (but he won't, he won't let himself, they don't deserve to see how badly he's hurting from this).

After looking back and forth between his parent's shocked expression, he bolts. He runs straight out of the house, ignoring his mother's pleads of “Louis! Boobear! Please” and his father's harsh shouts of “you get back here right fucking now!”. He doesn't even look back, not once. 

He's not running away from home though, not really (he's running away from the problem, as always). Besides, he'll only be gone for two or three days, depending on the loyalty of his mates and how long they're willing to let him sleep in their guest rooms. 

There's only one place for him to go, really. 

 

~

 

“Louis? Babe, what's wrong?” Harry asks, his pretty green eyes going wide with worry as he takes in the mess that is his best mate right now. “Why're you crying?,” He adds, and it surprises Louis a bit.

“I'm crying? Shit, fucking shit oh god Harry, Harry!” Louis wails, rushing forward. 

Harry doesn't even flinch as Louis' body crashes into his. Harry just holds him close, squeezing him tight through the sobs and running his long, pale fingers through Louis' fringe that's messy and sticking together with sweat from the run it took to get here. 

“Shh, babe. C'mon lets go inside, mum's out so we'll have a bit o' privacy,” Harry murmurs, waiting for a nod of consent from Louis before he slowly walks backwards into his house, still attached to Louis.

He shuts the door as quickly as possible before leading Louis over to his rundown couch in the living room. After a moment of Louis taking deep, shuddery breaths and trying to calm down, he finally seems ready to speak (well, as ready as he'll ever be, because he doubts that he'll ever really be ready to tell people that his parents are divorcing).

“Shit, Haz something horrid's happened!” Louis wails, eyes watering up all over again at the thought of actually having to say what's been going on out loud. He doesn't know why he's so upset, because his father really is a piece of shit and he's not afraid to admit that, but. It still sucks. It really fucking sucks.

 

~

 

Now, Louis is in the theatre group at their school, and he's generally known for being a bit dramatic, but Harry has an unfortunate feeling that his best mate is being completely genuine right now. And that's, well, that just won't do. He doesn't want to see his best mate (that he may or may not have romantic feelings for) cry, not now and not ever. 

He scoops Louis back up into his arms, so that the smaller (but older! as Louis loves to remind him) lad is sitting on his lap, head nuzzling his collarbone. Harry sighs, trying to put all his love into this one giant ass hug. He figures that Louis could really do with some loving right now; and he's always willing to give it to him, today is no exception. 

“Oh Lou, shh babe, don't cry!” Harry urges, kissing his cheek to try and make him smile because he wants nothing more than to see Louis' pretty smile again. 

“B-b-but! My mum.... they're getting divorced Haz.”

Instantly Harry holds him tighter, because he knows better than anyone (except maybe Louis, now) how shitty it feels when your parents suddenly (well, it's actually not all that sudden) decide to separate. 

“Oh babe, I'm so sorry, it's not your fault, you know that, right?” Harry asks; because he remembers thinking himself that if he had just behaved a little bit better, treated his dad just a bit nicer, then maybe he would have stayed. But that's not always how life works out, unfortunately. 

“I know, but... I don't even like my dad really, so why do I care so fucking much? I don't want to care, Haz,” Louis whispers, blue eyes looking up at Harry, who returns his stare.

“I dunno, to be honest, Lou. And you'll always care, somewhat - but eventually things will get better. I promise,” and Louis knows that what Harry is saying right now is the truth, because Harry never lies or gives him half-truths just to make him feel better. 

“Yeah?” He asks, one last time, just to make sure. 

“Yeah.” And he knows things will get better, in time, as long as he has Harry with him throughout it all. 

 

~

 

Louis begrudgingly texts his mum, fingers tapping violently at the screen, and asks if he can stay the night at Harry's - he doesn't call, because he doesn't think he can really talk on the phone with her without yelling (and maybe crying some more). She says yes, of course, and that she loves him very much. 

He turns his phone off. 

“Are you sure your mum won't mind? I don't want to impose,” Louis says after, even though both lads know that he's lying - “imposing” is one of his best qualities. 

“Course Boo; she loves you, more than me, I'd reckon,” Harry pouts and it's so cute that Louis has to look away, because he knows that cute isn't exactly a word he should be using to describe his best mate (also, words like adorable, fit, beautiful - words that Louis has caught himself using on more than occasion when thinking about Harry). 

“Can't say that I blame her, mate, I mean really...” Louis laughs, and he grins harder at the look on Harry's face, because he can't help himself (he never can, when he's with Harry).

“Shut up, twatface! So, you wanna watch a movie?” Harry asks, hoping that a romantic comedy (Harry's own personal favorite type of movie) will improve his best mate's mood.

“Sure, as long as it's not Love Actu-”

“Oh come on! That movie is the best and you know it!

“Sorry, sweet cheeks.”

 

~

 

Three movies later (and ugh, yes, they did end up watching Love Actually, because Louis may be able to say no to Harry but he can never actually follow through with it) and Harry's stomach starts to rumble, making him blush and Louis giggle into his shoulder. 

“Cute, Haz, real cute!” He giggles some more, not because it's funny but because the way Harry is blushing like he has something to be embarrassed about is. 

“Oh stuff it, I'm starving! You wanna watch me make something to eat?” Harry asks as he gets off the couch, looking unfairly hopeful and of course Louis is going to say yes to that face, how could he not? 

“Sounds good, get to it, woman!” Louis orders as he gets up as well, taking the hand Harry offers him. He's feeling more than a little bit smug when Harry blushes even more from the term.

“Hey, I'm not a woman!” He squeaks, although his eyes are sparkling with mischief. 

“You're my woman, Hazza,” Louis says and then blushes because what the hell, Louis you idiot, that's really not something to say to your straight best friend - especially when you're straight as well! 

“Yeah, your woman,” Louis thinks he hears Harry mumble as he waddles off to the kitchen. 

Well. Okay. Right.

 

~

 

It's only about 6 p.m, so Harry decides to make some pasta; and he kindly makes extra so that when his mum gets home she won't have to cook for her or Gemma. That's just one of the things Louis lov- likes, definitely likes, about his best mate. 

“Hey Lou, try this sauce for me, will ya?” Harry asks, turning around and startling Louis out of his (definitely platonic) thoughts as he sticks a wooden spoon full of something red right in his face. 

“Shit Haz, watch it!” Louis scolds, although his eyes look fond and his smile even fonder. 

Harry blushes a bit, and moves the spoon back some to give Louis more space. Louis grabs Harry's thin, pale wrist (and it's just to bring the spoon closer a bit, that's all) and takes a lick. 

He doesn't move his gaze away from Harry's. 

He stops licking, but doesn't let go of Harry's wrist; instead, he grips on tighter. “That's good, Haz.” He licks his lips slowly, going over them twice (but it's only to get the extra sauce off, he swears!). 

“Fuck, Louis, you little shit!” Harry says, even as he gulps, his green eyes darker and unmoving from Louis' pretty (so damn pretty, Harry thinks) pink lips. 

“Haz...” Louis whispers, voice sounding a bit wrecked already because, fuck, he never thought he would get to witness Harry staring down at him like that, it's too much for him to handle. 

“Yeah?”

“Kiss me.”

And so Harry does. 

 

~

 

Later on, after many more kisses and a few breakdowns (Louis is still reeling from the thought of his parent's divorce), they're lying in bed. 

“Harry, do you love me?” Louis asks, even though he's pretty sure he already knows the answer. He isn't sure, however, if he should be excited or nervous. He's leaning more towards the latter. 

“Yeah, I do, Louis. I love you so fucking much,” Harry whispers into the dark, tightening his hold on Louis, as if he might leave after Harry's said what they both already know. 

“I love you too, but I'm scared... I don't want to be like my mum and dad, who were in love one day but apparently not the next, y'know?”

And Harry does know, he knows all too well, because the same thing happened to him all those years ago.

So he sits up and turns on his lamp (ignoring Louis' protests because this is something that he absolutely needs Louis to know). 

“I will never, ever stop loving you Louis. I know it must seem hard to believe, but it's true. You're perfect and I wouldn't ever, fucking ever-”

Louis interrupts him (quite rudely) by grabbing his sleepy looking face and pulling him down. He kisses him softly, just gentle little pecks that Harry doesn't want to ever stop. “I believe you, Harry.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'll also post this on my other tumblr (larryiswatching) and my wattpad (justacceptmeplease). x


End file.
